DADDY'S PRINCESS: A Dark Bad Boy Baby Romance (The Horsemen MC)

by Sophia Gray

  “I would never forget,” swears Victoria.

  The story goes like this:

  Richard Redbeard has sailed the seven seas and back again. He's a pirate the likes of which no one has ever known before, with a dream that is nigh impossible.

  That dream? To find the eighth sea of the world—the Chocolate Sea.

  And today, he is certain he's gotten much closer.

  “Land ho,” shouts Cory from her spot on the prow. The spyglass has left a dark ring around one of her eyes. “Captain, we've found it! Candy Island, sir! It's real!”

  “Of course it's real,” bellows Richard, pointing towards the distant shape of the island. “I've been telling you that for years, Cory! Set our course, lass. We're going to Candy Island!”

  Candy Island is exactly like one would think. The shore is made from crushed sugar, white as could be, and the shells are brightly colored rock candy chunks. Wafer cone palm trees with gummy spearmint leaves dot the edge of the shore, where the sugar sand turns into crushed chocolate cookies and a licorice forest.

  The Chocolate Lady sets anchor just off the shore. Richard Redbeard leads his crew of lasses and lads to the shore. He's the first pirate on land, already pulling out an aged yellow map.

  “All right, crew. Spread out,” shouts Richard. “We're looking for the gumdrop cliff!”

  Like ants, the Redbeard Pirates spread out over the shores of Candy Island. They look high, and they look low. A young deckhand named Lon finds the gumdrop cliff; it's brightly colored ledges stand out against the dark line of the ocean. Waves crash against them, washing sugar crystals out into the depths.

  Richard Redbeard leads the climb up the side of the cliffs. The gumdrops are sticky and loose. Twice, he nearly falls into the churning waters below.

  When he makes it to the top of the cliff, Richard is met with the sight of the next landmark. The great marshmallow willow sits at the center of the gumdrop field. Great, sticky white gobs of mallow drip onto the ground. The drooping limbs hang over the syrup river.

  “Hurry,” shouts Cory. “Over the graham cracker bridge!”

  No sooner than the last pirate crosses the bridge, the whole thing collapses!

  They follow the map all over the island. They use strips of taffy to swing over the pools of molasses quicksand. Monkeys throw Red Hots at the Redbeard Pirates as they traverse the peppermint jungle, where everything is red and white.

  Finally, at long last, Richard leads his crew into a series of caves. Starbursts dot the ceiling, giving off faint glows. It's by these rainbow lights that Richard is able to make out the carvings in the wall.

  “We found it,” he says. “The map to the Chocolate Sea. Lads and lasses, we've finally found it!”

  Cory says, “All right, captain. When do we leave?”

  “Right away,” bellows Richard Redbeard. “An entire sea of chocolate awaits, my boys!”

  The crew of the Chocolate Lady sets sail before dusk sets. Richard Redbeard leaves Candy Island behind him in search of another, even sweeter landmark.

  He has sailed the seven seas! An,d soon, Richard Redbeard will have sailed all eight of them.

  By the time Victoria has finished her tale, George is fast asleep again. Victoria smiles. Softly, she says, “You are such a handsome boy.”

  He looks like his father, save his soft golden curls.

  Speaking of his father, Matt clears his throat. He's leaning up against the doorway of the bedroom. “Hey, sweet cheeks. I thought you were going to try to be home sooner today?”

  “I was,” says Victoria. “I am. It's only a little after midnight. I got home way earlier than yesterday.”

  “Not early enough for my tastes,” says Matt, but the twist to his lips makes it clear he's just playing around. Truly, there's no one in the world more supportive of Victoria than Matt is.

  Slowly, so as not to make the mattress move too much and wake George back up, Victoria stands up. She smooths down the front of her black pencil skirt and joins Matt in the hall. They push the door shut but just a little bit.

  Matt wraps his arms around Victoria's waist and kisses her, hard and fast and passionate. When he's done, he says, “I missed you.”

  Victoria laughs. “I missed you, too. I also missed dinner. Is there anything left?”

  Matt gives her a crooked smile. “Pizza?”

  “Pizza?” She slaps Matt on the chest. “I said no more junk food! He needs a healthier diet, Matt!”

  “Let him live a little!”

  “He has plenty of time for living. And don't test my patience, boy, because we both know you're the only one that wanted to live a little. Like you didn't have pizza for lunch earlier, too!”

  Matt shrugs. He tries to look innocent, but it mostly fails. “All right,” he admits. “I'm not good at being healthy. Still, you can't blame me for trying. I just wanted a filling meal!”

  “You wanted to be lazy.”

  “Says the woman that works so much she misses dinner.”

  There's no way to counter that. Victoria huffs instead. Then she leans up and presses a kiss to Matt's lips. “I'm going to go get a shower. Heat something up for me.”

  “Aye,” laughs Matt. “Anything for my princess.”

  The shower doesn't take long. While the apartment has its perks, the shower isn't one of them. There's barely any water pressure at all, and the hot water lasts twenty minutes, tops. It's just long enough to get in, get washed up, and get back out.

  On a splurge, Victoria uses cold water to shave her legs, and then gets out to towel off. The mirrors aren't even fogged up!

  Mirrors....again, for what seems to be the first time in years, Victoria finds herself thinking about the note that had been pinned to her mirror, back in the suite.

  Victoria will admit, that is the birth of her greatest fear. She gets dressed in her pajamas and tries to convince herself she will never be the sort of parent her mother had been. It simply isn't going to be possible.

  Once she's satisfied with how she looks and feels, even though she is, admittedly, still a little bit unnerved, Victoria heads out into the kitchen.

  It's her favorite part of the apartment. Next to drawing and designing clothing, Victoria has found she quite loves cooking. Now, that doesn't mean she's very good at it. In fact, the princess will be the first to admit she's a horrible cook. Many of her experimental dinners have ended up in the trash.

  She even gave herself food poisoning, once!

  Still, she finds it calming. The kitchen is decked out in shades of blue and green. There are marble counters and a black fridge. And, of course, there's Matt, sitting at the kitchen table.

  He's laid out a spread of leftovers: take out dishes from the last few nights, pizza, and a bottle of wine that has not yet been opened.

  “What's all this for?” Victoria asks, sitting down next to her husband.

  Matt laughs. “I thought you might have forgotten.”

  Victoria demands, “Forgotten what?”

  Matt leans over and kisses Victoria on the cheek. Then he says, “It’s our anniversary.”

  Chapter 53

  “It most certainly is not!” Victoria is out of her seat before she knows it, pointing a finger at Matt. “I know what day we got married, mister, and today is not it!”

  It's the middle of summer. Victoria has only just started working on the fall line. They got married in the spring—sleeveless dresses, tanks, and rain slickers that need to be made more fashionable, not jeans and three-quarter length sleeved shirts.

  Matt stands up, too, waving his hands to try to calm down his errant wife. “No, no! That's not the anniversary I'm talking about. I mean the day we met.”

  “The day we met?”

  “Yes! When you first walked into that bar.” Matt takes Victoria by the hand. “Like I said, it's okay you didn't remember. It's nothing official. That’s why I just dug out the wine and not anything else.”

  Suddenly, Victoria feels heady. She drops down into
her seat, and Matt drops down into his. The room blurs but just for a moment.

  The day they met. Victoria knows, now, why she has not been able to quit thinking about her mother. Even now, she can remember that fight. Bits and pieces of their argument flood her mind.

  “Now is the perfect time! With the flight delayed, we have no place to be. Victoria, you need to listen to me. This is important. It's not just your future, Victoria. It's about the future of Vertsea as a whole! This isn't something to play with, it's not just a game!”

  “You need me to understand? Listen to yourself, mother! I'm not going to marry Gaspard!”

  “He's a good man!”

  “I wouldn't know! I've never met him before!”

  “You shall not speak to me like that. Is that understood? Whatever thought you have in your mind, get rid of it. I married your father for the good of our people, and you're going to do the same. It isn't fun, Victoria, but it's our duty.”

  “You need to get your head on straight, Victoria. When we return home, you will accept Gaspard's proposal.”

  That, of course, had fallen through. Gaspard had become Harold. That, too, had been a plan she didn't make. Victoria presses a hand to her temple, feeling slightly woozy.

  Matt, worried, asks, “Are you okay?”

  Victoria nods. Then she demands, “Do you think I'm a good mother?”

  For a moment, her husband looks awestruck by the question. But then it must click into place with him because he nods. “I think you're an amazing mother. Just as good as my own!”

  Victoria nods. “And do you remember what happened that night?”

  “How could I forget?”

  “Do you remember?” insists Victoria, suddenly feeling desperate for confirmation. Suddenly, her current life seems far too much like a dream.

  “I remember,” promises Matt.

  Victoria does, too. With startling clarity, she remembers their first time together.

  “Okay,” says Victoria, taking in a deep breath. “Then I want to ask you something.”

  Matt takes hold of both of Victoria's hands. In his most serious voice, he says, “You can ask me anything. Tell me what's wrong, Tori. You know I'll listen, and you know I'll do everything that I can to help you.”

  “I know,” says Victoria. “Do you remember the notes my mother left me?”

  Matt's expression grows grim. He nods. “I remember them. They were loads of shit. We went over that, right?”

  “They were,” says Victoria. “But I've thought about them a lot today. And I want to ask you something because of them.”

  “You're a wonderful mother,” insists Matt. “You're nothing like her, if that's what you were going to ask me—”

  “It's not, but I appreciate the sentiment. I have a more important question to ask you.” Victoria pauses. She takes a deep breath, trying to calm her beating heart and organize her thoughts.

  “Ask me anything.”

  “Don't freak out. If you aren't interested, tell me.”

  “I will.”

  Victoria, nervous, insists, “Promise me!”

  “I promise you,” swears Matt. “But you have to ask me now, Tori. I'm starting to get worried! It's not about going back to Vertsea, is it? Because I'd go with you, but I don't think it's a good idea.”

  It's Victoria's turn to be startled now. “Why would it be about going back to Vertsea?”

  “Because you said you were thinking about your parents,” says Matt. “Fuck, I don't even know what we're talking about!”

  “I want to have another kid,” blurts Victoria. The silence that follows that statement is almost deafening. Victoria turns away from Matt, pops open the wine, and pours herself a glass. She takes a large swig of the bitter liquid before saying, “I want to have another kid. That little girl I used to talk about having. Matt, I want to try to have a daughter!”

  Matt sputters. “But your work—”

  “Can be passed on to someone else when I take maternity leave,” says Victoria, sounding far more comfortable with this conversation than she really is. “If you're interested, that is.”

  Again, there's a moment of silence. Matt pours himself a glass of wine, too. Then he turns to Victoria and holds his glass out.

  She clinks her glass against Matt's glass without thinking. “What are you toasting?”

  “A baby girl,” says Matt. “To the baby girl we're hopefully going to have! But I've got to ask, Tori, what if we just have another son?”

  “Then we'll love him,” answers Victoria. She gives her husband a coy smile. “And we'll try again. Are you really opposed to fucking around without a condom?”

  Matt laughs. The sound is low and deep. He downs his entire flute of wine in one go. “Fuck no. So, time table—”

  “Don't be a jerk,” snorts Victoria. “Once George starts preschool, that’s when I want to try for it. As soon as he’s out of the house a bit more.”

  “Good choice,” says Matt. “Unfortunately.”

  “Unfortunately?”

  “I’m already looking forward to having more little feet running around the house,” says Matt. His eyes sparkle with mischief. “And I’m excited to get some alone time with you. It’s been far too long on that front.”

  “Agreed,” says Victoria. She takes another sip from her wine, and then sits it down on the table. “But you know, I did just read George a bedtime story.”

  Matt's lips twist up in amusement.

  Victoria smiles back at him. “He's not going to be awake any time soon. If we're quiet...”

  She trails off, but there's no real need to finish that sentence. Matt is laughing when he stands up, offering a hand to his wife. “To the bedroom, then?”

  Victoria takes his hand and then tugs on his arm. “Or,” she says, her own eyes glinting, “we could just give it a shot right here. Who knows? Maybe the kitchen will be lucky.”

  THE END

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  [Bonus Novel] BOUNTY: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance (Giustini Family Mafia)

  By Sophia Gray

  I was just a call girl. He made me a vessel for his baby.

  I thought joining a brothel would be easier than my old life. And for a while, it was.

  Until Sebastian showed up.

  He’s a powerful earner for the Giustini crime family, and he gets whatever he wants.

  He wants sex? He gets it. He wants submission? He gets it.

  He wants a baby? Well…I have no other choice.

  My life has never been easy.

  I’d been working the streets since I was a young girl.

  It was hardly a fairy tale, but it was what I had to do to survive.

  I thought I’d seen the worst this city had to offer…

  But I was so, so wrong.

  What seems like a golden opportunity – safe, steady employment in Katrina Giustini’s brothel – turns out to be more like the edge of a cliff.

  Sebastian, a notorious drug dealer for the Giustini mob, takes a liking to me.

  But his affection has a cruel streak.

  Before I know it, I’m cuffed to his bed while his broad hands squeeze and spank and seize me.

  The sickest part of all is this…

  I might just like it.

  And when I discover Sebastian has gotten me pregnant, I know for sure:

  Every part of me belongs to him.

  Chapter One

  “Oh, yes, yes!” With a loud choked-off grunt, Nyssa’s client for the night collapsed on top of her, pressing her down into the sweat-soaked mattress. The guy panted furiously into her ear, his hot, dank-smelling breath hitting her face over and over again. Yuck, Nyssa thought, fighting every internal impulse she had in order to stay still underneath the s
weating, flabby husk on top of her. Nyssa did what she always did: silently counted to thirty, then shoved at the guy’s shoulders, peeling him off her chest and pushing him to the side so that she could get up from the bed and stagger to the bathroom to clean up.

  The client was still gasping for breath on the bed when she came back a minute later, his whole body flushed a deep red. “Jesus, that was good.”

  “Thanks,” Nyssa said, but her voice came out hollow rather than genuinely grateful. She walked over to the dresser opposite the bed and got back into her clothes as quickly as possible. She hated being naked in front of clients. More often than not, she tried to keep her bra on, at least, but this guy had wanted to see all of her. At least it’s over now, she said silently to herself. Now I can just go home and stop freaking out about making the rent this month.